Guardian
by EasyEight
Summary: So, this is a story about Tristan.. he is a character on maplestory, you can go to Manji in el nath for a quest about Tristan, but this is my own detailed story. hope you enjoyi dont make any profit from this story, wizet owns maplestory etc.


Chapter one

Summer was near its end on maple island. It was like any other day on the small, floating island. Fall was soon approaching and would envelope the entire island with cool, crisp, fresh air and falling leaves, as if it to announce itself to the world, and signify the ending of the warm and lazy days of summer. It was a day like this, end of summer, beggining of fall, i was laying in a large grassy field outside of amherst staring at the sky and watching the beautiful clouds blow past, as if nothing else in the world mattered. I had escaped my morning chores, it was about noon when i fell asleep. when i awoke the sun was beggining to set so i decided to hurry and get home for fear of being caught outside after dark by the islands native beasts. the monsters were packs of wild dogs which plagued the island. they fed on small mammals and fish, and occasionally ate any family pet unlucky enough to come accross one. when i arrived at my house later, my mother was standing in the doorway awaiting my arrival. i could tell by her face that she was a little annoyed, but something was saddening her. "where have you been tristan? you avoided your morning chores again...your father wouldn't approve." "im sorry mom, i dozed off in the field" I responded. "it's okay. are you forgetting something tristan?" i thought hard but nothing came to mind. after a few minutes of trying to remember what day it was, she interrupted, "its your birthday child. just like your father, so forgetful" she said with a soft expression. thats when it hit me. i was turning twelve. it was a right of passage for the young of the island, and a tradition spanning back to the age of the great wars. at twelve years of age they're sent away from maple island, away from everything they knew, their homes, their possessions, and their loved ones, to journey to the land of great warriors, and great monsters, victoria. the young can either choose to remain, and seek out a living of some sort on the harsh continent, or return when they are of the right age. I was very scared to be leaving everything i knew. i sat in my room puzzling for awhile, perhaps thinking of a way to run away from my home, and avoid being shipped off to victoria.  
i held the sword my father had sent me in my hands, after studying the small blade for awhile i grew angry. i threw it to the other side of them room where it landed, the part of the sheath where the point was, facing me. it seemed to have a life of its own, staring at me, looking back at me as if in anger for showing such disrespect. i did not want this tool of death, an evil equipment designed to take the lives of living things. the thought horrified me. My father was a great general of the victorian army, leader of a division of an elite fighting force called the victorian knights. in the letters he wrote me he told of fierce fighting in a far away land, in a previously unexplored continent. his main job there was to colonize a harsh and inhospitable wilderness full of dangerous monsters. he told me about the harsh battles he and his men had fought in the freezing weather and snow covered mountains, and about the legend that this is the place where all life had started. after dinner i laid down with a full stomache and fell into a deep sleep. later that night i awoke in a dead fear. the weather was terrible. i could hear the wind blow and the shrubs outside of my room scratching at my window. i pulled on some light clothes and grabbed the sword which my father had sent me, and silently creeped out of the window. the wind was moaning, almost as if it was pained by something, yet the wind that blew was warm and foul. i ran through the vegitable gardens that grew in abundance around our village and got to a road that was worn to the dirt and roots by many travelers. i began wandering, following this strange road which i had never seen before. after several hours i came accross a large tree, and heard something whining from the other side. terrified, i grabbed my sword and investigated. there were three of the large snails surrounding one part of the aged tree. they seemed to be trying to get to something. I charged at the snails, sword in hand making them retreat to the treeline. inside the small crevice of the tree i saw what was making the whining sounds. it was a small scrawny puppy. I could see his ribs and i could tell he was very hungry, cold and tired. i brought him home for i knew he couldnt survive another night without food and shelter. the next morning i awoke to the small dog nipping at my fingers letting me know that it was hungry. i snuck some of that mornings breakfast back to my room and gave it to the dog. i watched as he hate, and i decided a name for him. he would be called Zeus from now on. after watching my new pet, sprout for awhile a realization overcame me. i thought about this animals journey, and how terrifying it must have been for him. a wave of courage overcame me, thinking about my father, and this small pooch, and the next morning i would set sail for victoria, taking the small mutt with me on my journeys.

chapter 2

It was about 3 years since i had set foot on victoria, in the small harbor town of lith. when i first arrived at my new home, i spent much of my time working with the sailors, and everynight after supper listening to their many stories. my companion sprout, had grown little over the three years, but he helped me out with my daily chores. i loved the small port town, waking up before dawn, watching the sun rise as the seagulls happily cawed. although i was growing bored of the place, and wanted to explore the rest of the unknown, called victoria. it was a strange feeling. Previously i had feared leaving my childhood home and coming to this strange and wonderful new place, yet now i felt a sense of longing, to move around, to learn everything the great mother nature had to teach us. One particular sailor whom i met and i considered a close relative was one rather salty old sea-dog named don. before don came into my life sprout and i were homeless, and earned a living by stealing fish from the sailors when they were hauling the daily catch ashore. after finding us digging through a trash can, on one particularly catch-less day he gave us a home. in return for a home, we repayed him by working on his ship with him. here i learned many navigational tricks, ways to read maps, read the stars, or read the sun, to tell where you were, where you were heading, what direction you were heading in etc. the lessons this old man taught me while i lived under his watch would stay with me forever, and i perhaps would have died without them. he told me of a great many uncharted islands that only the natives knew about, and the sailors which had seen more of the world then any other. he rarely talked about his life before a sailor, but i managed to get some amount of information out of him. he was a foot-soldier in the victorian army and he had fought in a close-by island called florina. the victorian army had pulled out after conquering the island, because, as they soon discovered it would cost them more money managing the place then they would profit from, and there were no resources on the island which they could benefit from. now nothing remains but the old dried up look out sheds of the army, and a few easy going people on the edge of the island. i put "florina" island as it was called, on my list of places to travel.  
One particular evening, don had gone out without me, letting me take the day off for my birthday and never returned. after learned of his death, about the large sea monster who had killed my mentor, i went out the next day on a small dinghy with a spear in hand and a small short sword that the local smith had made for me. the sea monster, a large octopus was the first thing i had ever killed. after splitting its large abdomen open i saw the corpse of don being digested in the vile stomache acids of the beast. i gave him a proper sea-burial and after saying goodbye to his wife and wishing her luck, sprout and i walked away from lith harbor. something had overcome me. a sense of overwhelming justice, and something more terrifying. I realized i had enjoyed slaying the large beast. i put this feeling to the back of my head and thought about this beautiful island. about all of the people living here. then i thought about all of the people who had some sort of injustice, all of the people who are in need of help. i decided to make it my life goal to protect this island, and all of its inhabitants. i wiped away the tears around the egde of my eyes, and walked on. on into the unknown.

chapter three

five years after the seabeast incident i had no place to call home. I was a drifter, wandering throughout victoria looking for jobs wherever i could find them. many times was i hired as a mercenary by the victorian army at the age of 20. I had grown into a skilled warrior, and i excelled in the art of weilding swords. my hands had become weapons, my sword became an extention of my body. my familiar, and my best friend, sprout had grown into a massive wolf-dog. he was about 5 feet tall, and touched my shoulders. his fur was a striking jet-black, except for a white streak of fur accross his muzzle just underneath his eyes. i no longer called him sprout, but his new nickname was Zeus, after the great beast which was slain in the ancient wars of old times. zeus and I were perfect companions. we hunted what little game we could find while wandering the island. when we hunted, we worked perfectly, flawlessly to bring down the creature, weather it was a deer running to save its life, or an enemy wishing to kill us. one part of the land in particular, the northern most point of victoria was one that caught my attention. i heard tales of a strange unexplored land during my visits to kerning city pubs. when i first arrived in this alien and exciting land the first thing that i noticed where the canyons and endless skys. the people had dark brown skin, with silver eyes. i was told that these people who lived in the highland were the natives of victoria island, and secluded themselves from the rest of civilization. stepping onto this land was like stepping back one-thousand years, before the corruption of modern society. here is where i learned the way of the warrior. i had accumulated much strength from my experiences serving as a mercenary, but the warriors of this land had shown me the true power that lies in all humans. they taught me strength and skills that had been locked deep inside humanity for thousands of years, and of the great spirit earth, and all of her secrets. i regularly had training sessions with the tribe's leader who went by the name of "Sitting Bull." One day as i was exploring this land i saw a kid running from the corner of my eye. "what the hell..." i mumbled to myself. "ive never seen him in perion..hes not part of Sitting Bull's tribe" the hair on the back of zeus' neck stood up and he let out a faint growl. "chill zeus, hes just a kid" i comforted him. "hey kid! come here!" i yelled, but the child ran just ran away. I knew that this place was known for its dangerous monsters, and i knew if i left him alone he could be hurt, or even killed. i chased after the boy, who had led me to a large wall, with a small door way. over the door way was a sign written in native tongue that i translated as "the fire beasts." i was reluctant in entering the place but i knew the child might be in danger. the next thing i saw sickened me. the boy was standing paralyzed, shocked, as a trio of dinosaur like creatures enclosed around him. they were blood red, with ragged edged fins portruding out of their backs. i saw one of them lunge its tail at the boy, striking him in the face where he fell face down unconscious into the dirt. without even thinking i drew my sword..it had become like a second nature, weilding this weapon of destruction, except now it had a new purpose. its purpose was to save a life.

i charged blindly at the beasts, and the first one i made contact with i sliced the neck off of it so that the head landed by my feet. the hot blood spilled over me and i felt the need to kill, the very same feeling i had felt when i left lith harbor. i went into a furious rage, and sliced the next beasts chest open exposing its ribs. the monster knelt down, dying so i went at the next one. i parried the attacks from its tail, and dodged the flames that it spat out at me. zeus had ran behind him and attached his jaws into the beast's leg. i ran quick to its side and plunged my mighty sword deep into the side of its abdoment peircing its heart, and killing it instantly. five sets of eyes were watching us, and five more of the massive reptiles encircled us. zeus ran to attack and i ran in the opposite direction. i was too blind in my blood lust, slashing away at the creature to notice that my companion was being taken down by the beasts. when i realized what my carelessness had done, i desperately tried to get to him but he was completly covered with the monsters. i summoned all of the energy i had left, to make one final attack on the swarming monsters. i heaved my greatsword, knocking them off, and in a rage one by one, they fell to my feet dead. my energy was completely gone, and i fell to my knees. covered in my own blood, and the blood of the beasts. I crawled over to my companion zeus. he layed dying. i tried desperately to make him snap out of it, but his eyes glazed over, and his breathing became very slow. i could sense the spirit leaving his earth-bound body. i layed on my back staring at the sky. a hole formed in one of the clouds, and a beam of sunlight shot through it, as it heaven itself was welcoming zeus's arrival "rest easy, old pal" i was reminded of the time, eight years previously when i layed in that quiet, field outside of amherst. my vision began to blur because of the tears running through my eyes. the realization hit me, zeus was dead. my life-long companion was gone.  
i dragged myself over to the boy, and checked his vital signs. he was still alive, just unconscious and had a large gash spanning from underneath his right eye, to his lower left jaw. The warm sun was beating down, and i couldnt stay awake any longer. i fell into an unconcious state.  
when i awoke, three days later the tribes warriors treated me as a hero. they covered me with all sorts of decorative clothing, and trinkets, and a necklace made from the large canines of the fire beasts which i had slain. during my recooperation period i had not seen, or heard from Sitting Bull. when i was well enough to get out of bed and walk again the boy whom i had saved payed me a visit. i learned from him his name was manji, and he had lived there all by himself. i gave him the small sword which my father had given me, and what little currency i had left. i decided to leave this place, once again, leave my home to answer the longing in my heart to explore. before i had left the highlands of perion, i payed one last visit to dances with balrog. when i entered his shrine he was sitting above a fire, silently smoking his pipe in deep thought, as usual. "im leaving" i said to him. "i know." he responded simply. "i have known. i have known everything about you since the first time you came to our land. you have a dark spirit inside of you tristan. an evil one. yet you also hold a holy spirit. you are going to do great things my son. i have something you will be needing." he handed me a rusted old gladius, and a necklace with a piece of carved tooth attached to it. i examined the carved bone, and there looking back at me was the face of argus in the form of a small carved figurine

"you are not alone my son. your companion's spirit is still with you. take the blade to the center of victoria island and talk to our brothers there. there is an evil monster whos influence reaches this town. you must travel to the center...to the cursed sanctuary and slay this beast, or all of victoria will be comsumed by its evil and power glutton." i left the place without saying any further words. i left the place, knowing i would never come back.

chapter four.

It was one year since my leaving of perion. i wasnt really sure why i was here, it seemed like i was running a fool's errand just by being here, and for awhile i doubted Sitting Bull's words. maybe i wasnt destined for great things, maybe the old fool had finnally lost it. or maybe i was the fool. during my stay here the tasks were endless and very tiresom. everyday i had to collect some rare materal, or precious gem, or the bones from some dangerous beast so that the smith could finish the old blade. the smiths name was sabitrama, a jack-of-all trades. he excelled in many useful skills, but his real passion seemed to be alchemy. on top of retreiving the materials needed for the sword, he had me fetch some strange herb everyday so he could work on a strange potion. sabitrama was a strange old bat, who rarely talked. i had felt the spirit of a warrior within him, but i never got close enough to him to get him to say something other than the orders he barked at me everyday. i found my stay here very boring, and when i finished gathering the things for him i spent my days training. the entire year i had spent there had made me much stronger, stronger then i had known. the task of collecting the objects was no easy one, as often times i found them being guarded by a pack of wild beasts which i had to dispose of in order to get the material, and training was the only thing to do that i found slightly entertaining. finnally the day came. i was laying down in a small patch of grass, wet from the constant dew of the surrounding forest when the old smith called my name. i prepared to receive an order from him but i did not. he handed me something wrapped in a light brown cloth, i unfolded it to see the gladius completely transformed. the old sword had been refurbished, rejuvinated, as if the old man had dipped it into the fountain of youth. the sword was a shiny silver liquid color, with a very subtle golden gleam. i knew it was time, i had to travel to the center of victoria and face off with this demon of old legend. it was about 5 hours since i set foot from the mouth of the cave. the tempurature had dropped so low, each breathe i exhaled immediatey turned into small ice particles and crashed into the ground. the tunnel seemed to stretch endlessly on either side, for as far as you could see. my eyes had become used to what little light had seeped into the tunnel, from small cracks in the ceiling and the light that trickled from the mouth of the cave. i could hear the distant and eerie shrieks and shouts of the cave dwelling monsters, seeming to be right next to me, yet miles away. finnally, i came to a room that appeared to be a dead end. it was quite large, and appeared to be some sort of ancient shrine. there were pillars every where one looked, some still standing, some ready to fall, and some toppled by the corrosive effects of time, or perhaps some unnatural force. i had heard from Sitting Bull that the ancient gods of old had made this temple, a sort of sanctuary from the evil where they could rest. as man grew stupider and stupider, waging wars against one another. out of these wars the evils of unnatural monsters were born. at first the monsters were nothing, small snails and mushrooms, but as man grew more and more savage, the monsters took more power form mankinds greed, wickedness, and ignorance. pretty soon the monsters became so powerful that the gods themselves were slain by these beasts.

the gods had created man for their own pleasure, to watch their civilizations grow and their people be happy, but somewhere along the line humans were flawed. as the generations passed this flaw became more and more dominant in the traits of the humans, and finnally began the ancient wars. fighting themselves, and creating more hate and anger for the monsters to feed off of, and thrive from. before the gods were finnally beaten, it is said in this very room, while being beseiged by the devilish monsters, they changed mans purpose. mankinds new purpose was to kill the very thinng which spawned from their negative feelings, and the thing which the gods were unable to destroy themselves. dances with balrog told me that few people, after years of training and slaying many beasts that would reach godly status, and perhaps would even be able kill the gods himself. i looked around the room, and noticed two giant silhouettes guarding the place i needed to be. the large statues were of large minotaurs, holding giant spears. as i approached the exit to the room, i noticed a small flicker of movement from the corner of my eye. i jolted around to see the staue staring me, right in the eyes. i stared back at its furius gaze, it had a burning hatred in its eyes, and i could sense the need to kill permiating from its very existance. i stepped back a few feet and got a good look at the beast. there standing in front of me was a massive 10 feet tall minotaur weilding a spear with a golden crescent shaped blade on the tip.  
the beast lunged at me, as i parried the blow i drew my own sword. it seemed as if my blade would not even penetrate its skin. it drew some form of negative energy from its soul, and launched a ightening bolt projectile using its spear to channel the negative energy. i could not parry this time. as the bolt hit, it felt like the very sun was scorching my skin, then after a few seconds of the tormenting pain it began to feel cold again. i found myself lying on the freezing ground of this cursed sanctuary, as the beast walked over to me. i knew i was going to die. all of the energy had been sapped from my body and i could only lie there helplessly. the beast kicked my legs and called to the other one, in some ancient tongue. i noticed all of the skeletons lying around the place, several of which were left by a human. i stared up, up into the distance waiting for death to carry me away, as i have found myself doing many times before. as i stared into the endless black distance my vision became blue. i felt my energy return, and i felt the same bloodlust as the one in the incident of the fire spitting beasts. it was as if the very spirits of the gods had touched me, given me some energy and unlocked the urge to kill which they had given me. i stood up, the beasts back was turned to me, and i sliced its head off with one blow. the head rolled over looking strait up at me. i put my foot on top of it and stood staring at the other beast for a few moments. his face seemed surprised, and i could see my reflection in his eyes, my right arm was covered in blood from the beast which i had previously slain, and my eyes were glowing a strange blue color. i could see the scars on my arm, which i had received from previous battles and i remembered what dances with balrog had told me. "after years of training and killing many beasts one can aquire a god-like status. perhaps even greater than the gods." "so...does this mean...that one could slay the very beasts which had slain the gods?...that one could KILL a god?...one could BE a god?" i asked him. he paused for a long while, looking at me gazing at me with his intense silver eyes. it was the first time he had ever looked at me directly in the eyes, and he had a forboding expression on his face. i knew immediately after i asked, i shouldnt have. after several minutes of awkward silence he answered quietly "...yes. yes, one coud kill a god. one could BECOME a god..." the beast charged forward at me, without any second thoughts. i dodged quick to the monsters side, and immediately its back was exposed to me. as i prepared to deliver the finishing blow, it spun around and blocked my attack with its spear. it knocked me back several feet, and charged up his spear. he shot it at me, and i saw the orange bolt coming at me. i used my sword as a receptacle, and it became charged with the orange energy. the sword was not phased in any way, where any normal sword would be shattered to peices if it absorbed such an evil energy. i swung the sword at the beast, and he tried to block the attack with his spear. the blow had crushed his spear in half, and now it was completely defenseless. it looked astonished. it it fell to its knees and sputtered some words,... this time in english. "the gods...the gods have returned...they have returned to punish us...we are all going to-..." his blood was spilled before the sentance was finished. "the only one whos going to die is you.." i wiped the blood off of my sword and continued to the next room, almost fearful, but the power the gods had unlocked within me,..and cursed me with, wouldnt allow me to feel fear, or danger, or pain...perhaps this is why i fell. perhaps this is the only way i could have saved victoria.

chapter five.

as i entered the next room, i was immediately taken aback to my childhood...i remembered the night that i found sprout...zeus, and the foul wind that blew that night. the very same stagnant, warm, foul smelling air was permeating throughout the chamber. the floor was covered in a dark crimson color, and the walls showed the age of the room. this was the gods final resting place...the dead end of the cursed sanctuary. in the middle of the room was a giant maple tree. the gods planted this tree, before they were slain, and put all of their powers and spirit into it. so large it was, that one could not see the top, for it was far above the roof of the chamber, its leaves soaking up the sunlight, and spreading its life throughout the land. now this life-bringing tree was being threatened. i knew if i failed on this task, all life would soon end on my beloved lands, for without the gods...the only thing bringing life to this world was the tree...

i slowly walked towards the tree, and the black mist that was slowly swirling around its base. the room itself seemed to have a life of its own, and the spirits of the room telling me to turn back, to go back home..leave this place and never come back. i didnt listen to the spirits, this was my task, it was my job to fulfill my quest. i clenched my sword, my armor was saoked with blood, I was already weakened from the fight the with the silent sentinels guarding this room. when i got into striking distance of the black mist, i touched the tree. i felt so much agony, so much pain, this is the destiny of our lands...the dark veil had recognized this was the moment to attack, and it ripped away from the base of the tree, knocking me down with it. it circled into a large ball, blocking the entrance giving me no other choice but to fight...or die. my courage ran thin, and it felt as if all hope was lost. i sank to my knees looking at the large ball of darkness. the mist faded away leaving the cursed balrog standing there, looking at me with its red eyes. it advanced, slowly walking forward, preparing to spill my blood. no man could handle this task, and i knew Sitting Bull had sent me to my death. i dropped my sword, and stood up. as if to offer myself to the hellish beast. an evil laugh came from it, and it shook the walls of the chamber. no man can do this...no man. i remembered what dances with balrog had said... i picked up my sword and thought to myself..i am no man...i am a god...

the balrog's outstretched arm was closing about me, his evil powers draining my courage, or so he thought. it didnt not expect me to have a newfound source of power, and courage. i sliced the beast's arm off with my sword, and a horrible cry came forth from its foul mouth. from the open wound, blood did not spill but the black mist that summoned the creature in the first place. it screamed in its terrible voice, and i sat on my knees clutching my ears. i heard nothing, and then slight bells, and wind chimes, death was calling me to join him, he knew i could not survive this. but i pushed away, and i picked up my sword. the beast was holding its remaining arm over its head, and summoned a large black ball, and threw it at me. i dodged the orb, and it exploded on the ground, sending peices of debris through the air. i saw my enemy was vulnerable, so i ran to the side of of it, and striked its leg. it wasnt enough to cut completely through its body, but it was enough to bring the monster to its knees. it lunged its remaining arm at me, and i cut it off at the forearm. the black mist rushed around me, circling my body then fading off. i plunged my sword deep into the balrogs throat, and flames burst out, knocking me to the back of the tree. when i awoke, the gladius was sticking out of the ground, but it had been corroded, as if millions of years had passed, and its magnificance was gone, all life completely sapped from it. "better you than me i guess" i said happily, i knew i had survived the conflict. as i stood up, my head pounding, and bood dripping from the injury in my arm, i slowly walked towards the exit, with a limp. i was happy, overjoyed. i had survived...im alive...

but i was mistaken. the black mist had overcome me, encircled me, choking. i could not breathe, nor was there anything to fight against. it was inside of my body, inside of my lungs slowly draining the life from my soul. then it was painless, everything stopped. death outreached his hand to me, and i knew it was my time to go. i took his hand, and he helped me to my feet. "come my child" he said. a glowing staircase apeared, and i climbed on, with death at my side. "so...have i failed my task?..i am dead..the evil overcame me" i asked. "no my child, you have not failed your quest. victoria is free from the balrogs grasp. evil still exists, but as long as there are warriors, fighting for what they beleive, then victoria is saved. you've completed your task, only you could have killed the balrog...you did your part...rest now...see your companions in heaven, and let your spirit protect your beloved victoria island, tristan guardian of victoria." 


End file.
